


Blood & Pawns

by HiMiTSu



Series: Kurofai Week 2016 [1]
Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood, Blood Drinking, Day 1, Kurofai Week 2016, M/M, Role Reversal, Romace, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-29 10:44:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8486320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiMiTSu/pseuds/HiMiTSu
Summary: Kurofai Week 2016. Day 1: Role Reversal. Chapter 1: One is a vampire, the other is a willing victim. That's how it is.Chapter 2: Canon AU. Kurogane serves Fei Wang Reed and Fai is sent by Yuuko.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Kurofai week 2016 on tumblr. 
> 
> I read Tsubasa RC in my native language, which is neither Japanese nor English, so to write this prompts I had to google the English names of countries, worlds and characters. If I messed something up, feel free to let me know. Just, please, be nice about it:)
> 
> My tumblr: mysteryismyart.tumblr.com

Fai is running. He is tired already but stopping is not an option, so he swings to the left on the next interception, leaving the main street behind and diving into the labyrinth of back alleys. He is breathing fast, gulping down the cold night air that burns his lungs. His heart flutters in his chest, _fast-fast-fast_ , and only a small part of that rush is exertion.

The night is dark and the weak over-head lights are not enough to guide the way. Fai doesn’t know these streets and he is running blind, hoping his next turn won’t bring him to a dead end. He stumbles and scrapes his hand on the brick wall when he catches his fall; it stings but Fai balls his hand into a fist to keep the blood from splashing the ground. He runs.

He runs; the night is dark and cold but his blood runs hot and Fai wishes he left the jacket behind. This suit is not made for exercise, the shoes hurt his feet and still Fain can not stop. Another turn brings him to a back alley of some club and he allows himself to slow down, to linger with a crowd gathered outside, catch his breath. He glances around, heart in his throat, but does not notice a familiar figure within the crowd. Fai leans on the wall, pressing his forehead against the cold stones and closes his eyes. Just for a second gives himself time to rest. Someone brushes against him and Fai’s eyes fly open, gaze immediately drawn to a couple passing by. They look at him with curiosity and concern, a young girl with big kind eyes asks if he is all right but Fai plasters a smile and waves them away. He is fine.

Just a minute more and he tears himself away from the wall and continues. The opening leads to a bigger street, with clubs and restaurants on each side and people milling about. But Fai crosses it and dives back into the dark. The voices and loud music fade away behind him and then it is only the sound of his steps in the deafening quiet.

Fai runs. The winds whips at his hair; his face feels warm and his breathing is hard. It’s difficult but he is not tired yet; the adrenalin gives him strength.

Suddenly, Fai feels cold. It’s ice creeping up his skin and filling his lungs. He stops. No trying to get away now.

Goosebumps run down his spine. Hairs stand on end.

Fai takes a deep breath, let it out slowly. Relaxes his stance. And spins on his heel. “So you caught me.” His voice is high but betrays no emotion.

The darkness shifts as a tall shadow breaks away. A pair of eyes come into focus, irises red as blood stare unblinking. Fai takes a step back, it’s involuntary, this fear that overcomes him and stifles for a moment any other reaction.

“Not that it was very difficult.” A voice, low and scratchy.

Fai smiles lazily when the shadows dissipate finally; he can see a face along with those red eyes. A grin, sharp and dangerous – Fai echoes it with a sweet smile. “I tried so hard this time, Kuro-sama.”

“Didn’t seem that way.”

He comes closer and Fai can finally see him fully: a dark suit – Fai loves it on him, it’s fully black including a black shirt, only the tie – the tie is red. He looks good, in perfect sync with the darkness that follows him. Fai backs away until he hits the wall; then he has nowhere else to escape. He says airily, “You lost me at the bar.”

Kurogane hums thoughtfully as he approaches. “That was a good escape, yes. I still caught you.” His next move is fast, so quick Fai’s human eyes can’t trace it. One moment Kurogane is five steps away and the next he is leaning in face to face with Fai, both hands flat on the stones, boxing Fai in.

“You are trembling,” he says smugly.

“It’s cold,” Fai lies. He isn’t fooling anyone.

Kurogane’s grin grows as he titles his head to nuzzle Fai’s neck. His breath is cold on Fai’s heated skin. Fai shivers again and hears Kurogane chuckle into his neck before lips are pressed to his throat. They feel like ice is melted on his skin. Fai throws his head to the side, giving more access and gasps when Kurogane’s teeth nip at his flesh playfully. His breath turns into mist in the air; it shouldn’t, not on a cool Summer night but Kurogane’s presence always drops the temperature below zero.

“It’s alright though,” Fai says while Kurogane presses languid kisses down his throat. “I can warm you up.” It’s a promise and an offer and a question all in one. He knows Kurogane will always choose him, but still, every time, the uncertainty creeps up. Fai covers it with a smile when the other looks up to peer closely into his face, but there is no fooling Kurogane.

He only mutters, tired, “Idiot.” But it’s enough. It has Fai’s smile growing lighter.

He puts his hand around Kurogane’s broad shoulders, fingers caressing his skin lightly and carefully guides the other’s face back to the crook of his neck. Cold lips press to his skin; people who don’t know Kurogane always assume that he is rough and cruel, but that can not be further from the truth. The lips caressing Fai’s neck, pressing sweet chaste kisses, are impossibly soft and gentle. At moments like this Kurogane always treats him with great care, like Fai is a pretty china doll that may crumble in his hands. That too is not the truth, but Fai allows him these moments of quiet, enjoys them if with a trace of impatience building up under his skin. But after a couple minutes it takes hold and he whispers urgently, “Kuro-kun. Maybe you should…?”

Kurogane grunts and lifts his head to look at Fai. His eyes, red like rubies and luminescent in the dark. His lips stretch into a dangerous smile, teeth bared. Fai has seen this before but each time his breath stops as he watches Kurogane’s incisors grow longer and sharper. There is a moment in between. It’s in the small space between them. In the air, thick and heavy – anticipation. Fai breathes it in, imagines it tastes sour sweet on his tongue, feeds his expectations on it. Kurogane’s gaze is heavy with the same feeling, adding to the tension. They share this moment, each with his own thoughts, but focused only on one subject. Fai’s mind is stuck, his body is trapped and he is giving up willingly.

He breathes out, slow and heavy, and throws his head back. Closes his eyes.

Same lips, just as cold. Sharp teeth, two points of pressure on Fai’s skin, breaking, tearing, making blood, hot, run. Before it can fall Kurogane’s tongue latches on it, he is drinking greedily. Again and again, with every droplet, Fai gives himself away. It hurts, first rough then dull pain, but Kurogane hums, pleased, and Fai forgives everything. Carefully, he wounds his hands around his lovers frame, holding on. Breathes deeply and tries to think about Kurogane’s lips, not his fangs. It’s a contradictive feeling, the pain that slowly bleeds into pleasure. Every time.

He is starting to weaken, his head spins and he is grateful for Kurogane’s hands holding him up.

“Kuro…” He mutters feebly, shaking hands running down Kurogane’s forearms in both a warning and a caress.

Immediately Kurogane tears himself away. He peers at Fai’s face, eyes searching and Fai smiles sluggishly and wipes away the blood dripping from a corner of his mouth. Kurogane places a palm of his hand on Fai’s cheek and it’s warm. With Fai’s blood now running through his veins it’s Kurogane’s kisses that warm Fai’s skin now.

Fai’s frame shakes, exhaustion and cold taking their toll but he clings to his lover still, content in this moment. Kurogane is concerned and he wants to wave it off, smile and disregard the discomfort completely but he knows it won’t be appreciated. Somehow, it’s a comforting thought.

“I will be fine,” he says instead and allows Kurogane hold almost all of his weight.

How stupid can he be? Choosing a vampire for a lover. A terrifying vicious creature…But when he looks at Kurogane, his stern handsome face twisted in concern, he knows there is no other way for him.

So Fai plants a small kiss to Kurogane’s cheek, careful not to touch blood drying on his mouth and asks. “Take me home, Kuro-sama?”


	2. Pawns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another entry for a role reversal prompt. Completely unrelated to the previous one. AU that keeps as close to canon as possible. Kurogane serves Fei Wang Reed and Fai is sent by Yuuko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this just yesterday because the idea of role reversal like this is very intriguing:) I tried to explain as much as I could of how I see this AU but too much explanation would have ruined the flow. And for me this is more about Kurogane’s feelings and thoughts. If you want you can drop by my tumblr and tell me your headcanons for a switch like this or ask more about mine!

The first time Kurogane laid eyes on those people he didn’t think much. They were a strange bunch, a couple of kids, a magician who smiled too much and a ridiculous white thing that wouldn’t shut up. They were friendly and incredibly nosy and took everyone else’s problems as their own. They tried too much and hurt too much in result and they trusted him immediately. He was slightly disappointed at how easy this thing was going to be.

They traveled, hopping from world to world, and this unlikely group grew closer together. They tried to get  to know him but Kurogane avoided the questions and diverted their attention – it worked perfectly with the kids, but he could still feel the magician’s inquisitive stare follow him around. It was annoying; even more annoying that the ridiculous nicknames and his undying need to always touch, grab, hold onto Kurogane whenever a probable chance came up. Kurogane hated him more than the rest.

His stupid smiles that he played up for the sake of the kids and the white bun and the sadness in his eyes which he tried to hide so desperately and his cheerfulness and his gentle care and useless promises of help and protection. The Princess adored him so obviously and the kid trusted the mage, but then again, those two trusted even Kurogane. The mage didn’t. Never completely, anyway. Always suspicious but never judging or unwelcoming. It pissed Kurogane off. This idiot who relied on the kindness of strangers and never lost hope in other people.

Kurogane knew that others didn’t care. He learned that the hard way when Suwa was attacked and no one came to help. Kurogane was getting sick of this charade.

He was tired of hiding; he was a killer, a monster and that passion burned through his red eyes and gave a cruel twist to his smile. It was a wonder how the others had not noticed yet.

In the world where they lost the kids and the war was raging on everywhere around Kurogane felt right at home. He allowed himself some freedom: to fight how he saw fit, to destroy as much as he wanted, not to kill though…not yet. The curse placed on him by Fei Wang Reed before the beginning of his journey prohibited useless killing – until at least the time came to destroy one particular person. Kurogane wasn’t sure the old man himself knew what he meant by a ‘useless kill’ but that’s how the curse went and Kurogane could not sacrifice even a small bit of his power for the pleasure the kill could bring. So held back the strength of his blows, but there was no way he could hide the dark grin that stretched his mouth wherever he was on a battlefield.

The magician noticed, still it didn’t matter. The _magician_ didn’t matter. He was just another target and Kurogane’s key to freedom. So what if he still smiled at Kurogane tentatively when they cleaned each other’s wounds after a battle? So what if he brought food and water for the both of them? So what if one evening he leaned over the washbasin and kissed Kurogane?

It didn’t matter that Kurogane was starting to miss the sound of his voice. Or that he was worried he would forget the particular blue of Fai’s eyes. It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered. Except for the fact that when the time came Kurogane would run his sword through Fai’s heart and look back into his betrayed eyes and hear the last breath rattle in his chest. And the curse would be lifted and he could be himself again.

Except the time passed and the war never stopped, an unending cycle with no meaning, and Kurogane got used to their routine. Training, battle, care, kisses.

It was simple and it didn’t require him to pretend to be a good person and Fai’s smiles lost that shadow of grief to them.

It was a long time aft, when the kids arrived and fixed up yet another world and they took off, wiping away any traces of that new life.

Then the kid saw Kurogane’s home burn and his parents killed but he didn’t see what happened after. It was almost a shame. Kurogane needed a good reminder of what he was. He felt like he was losing himself, trapped too long with these people and their hope and mage’s sweet smiles and even sweeter kisses. No one had ever being this gentle with him; no one ever made Kurogane want to be gentle in return. No one ever made him care, not since he held his mother’s corpse in his hands and now…he was making impulsive decisions, he was saving the man he was instructed to kill. Again and again he dragged Fai back from the brink, tying their lives together and practically pulling the idiot along.

He learnt later the reason behind Fai’s sad smiles and the darkness that sometimes dulled the blue in his eyes. He learnt of the brother and of the kind king – both ruined by cruelty of fate, one dead and the other mad. And of the Witch and the deal to save the kingdom and a ban to ever come home. Still they had to – Fai broke them into that cold world, his magic combining with the Witch’s, and they walked the deserted planes until they reached the castle and found the body of their Princess. It seemed simple and yet it was not.

The King was waiting and he had the same kind eyes that held too much grief. He was the one who told the tale and he was the one who gave them back their Princess and he was the one who claimed that Fai could not leave that world. All the subjects had ran, it was empty safe for their party, the King had said and looked at Fai. He promised that the mage’s companions could leave but the two of them, he said, smiling – always smiling when their hearts are breaking – could face this disaster together.

Kurogane knew this was the moment. He didn’t need a signal from his master, he didn’t need a message from Fei Wang’s lackeys…this was it.

Kurogane had other plans. He didn’t know what he was doing; he didn’t give himself time to think. He knew only that the world was closing, trapping the one person that mattered within, and when Kurogane heard a voice promising help he didn’t hesitate.

When he came to, a memory of excruciating pain like a nightmare in the back of his mind, it was to a concerned face and gentle hands and promises that everything was going to be alright. He couldn’t feel his left arm, but that was to be expected. The young girl with dark hair and worried dark eyes was hovering near his bed, apparently uncomfortable but hoping to help. She was a princess of some sort – she said her name but he didn’t car to remember, more concerned with the well-being of his Princess and the kid and the stupid _stupid_ magician with beautiful eyes and tender smiles.

Kurogane didn’t know when it happened, puzzled himself by the change, but his world was different now. Consisting not only of him but there was place for others there too. Somehow they warmed their way into his heart. And when the doors opened and Fai appeared, unharmed, Kurogane felt a genuine happy smile tug at his lips. A first in so long.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this:) 
> 
> I will be posting another short story for the same prompt later today. If anyone is interested I'll just add it as a second chapter to this story.
> 
> And one more thing, kurofai fans, I really need some help! Can anyone tell me what was the name of the manga Kurogane always read? As I said, I read Tsubasa in my native language and the two English versions I managed to find did not have the translations of the cover. (At least in the chapters I remember where it was showed.) So if anyone remembers, please, message me on tumblr or leave it in the comments here. That will be very appreciated:)


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